Nintendo celebrates Kirby anniversary with bubble gum blowing record

Fans of Kirby, the rotund pink title character of the popular series of video games from Nintendo, set a bubblegum blowing world record to mark the 20th anniversary of the first Kirby game release.

The event took place at the PAX Prime Conference in Seattle on September 1st where 536 participants were instructed to chew their gum for at least one minute and then blow and hold bubbles for 30 seconds.

Since debuting in 1992 in Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby has starred in 22 titles with sales of more than 33 million units worldwide. The spherical character is known for his ability to inhale enemies and copy their abilities, but his signature ability is inhaling large objects and spitting them out with great force.

For their trouble, attendees at the world record attempt who outdid the previous record of 304 participants achieved by Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Oct. 27, 2010, also got a preview of the upcoming Kirby’s Dream Collection: Special Edition for the Wii. Set to launch September 16th, the release includes six classic Kirby games on one disc, plus a commemorative booklet, a music CD and an interactive timeline that lets players explore Kirby’s colorful history.